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Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Tarts

I’ve talked before about how as a kid, I could barely walk into Staples without going weak at the knees. The thought of all the notebooks, pens, binders, and Sharpies….. I just could. not. deal.

To this day, I’m still a stationery junkie. I adore office supplies and organizing things, and as much as many bloggers probably hate the paperwork that goes along with having a small business, I secretly kinda like it because it means I can organize things with dividers and labels and highlighters. If you ever questioned my nerdiness, well, now it’s confirmed.

But do you want to know what gets me even more excited than Staples? If you said Whole Foods and farmers’ markets you’re right, but after that?

Crate & Barrel.

Yep. It’s my biggest weakness, my guilty pleasure, my happy place, a source of recipe inspiration, and the taker of my money. It’s a good thing that they don’t sell much food there because I’d probably never leave.

Recently I was doing a recipe planning session for the weeks ahead. I was trying to come up with something easy and healthy for Valentine’s Day (which is this coming Sunday, by the way), but knowing my limited baking abilities, didn’t want it to be something that required the oven. Eventually I decided that instead of dessert, I’d create some sort of Valentine’s-themed entrée. Exactly what it was I didn’t know, but one of my other plans that weekend was to return a purchase at The Bay. Coincidentally (or not), Crate & Barrel happens to be in the same mall.

Due to cosmic forces beyond my control, I found myself standing in Crate & Barrel looking at all sorts of things, including these:

Crème brûlée dishes. Mini ones, 5″ in diameter to be precise. At that moment, my plans to not make a dessert went completely out the window. But my plans to not bake were still very much in tact, and although the dishes were an impulse purchase, a crème brûlée torch was not about to be my next one.

If you’ve ever come across any vegan cheesecake recipes, you probably noticed that most require oodles of cashews soaked for at least 4 hours in order to create a cheesecake-like texture. The crusts are also typically a blend of nuts and seeds. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for healthy fats and love me some nuts, but that many nuts can get spendy, and…. well, kinda drive my stomach nuts.

So while I didn’t have buckets of nuts and hours to soak them, what I did have was about a cup of cashews and lots of frozen nanners.

Friends, you know I don’t do dessert often because the truth is that I’m just more of a savoury type of gal. But this one… it truly was amazing.

The list of ingredients is ridiculously simple yet the result is something almost too pretty to eat. You can also customize it as you like. I topped mine with raspberries and shaved dark maca chocolate, but it you’re not in a chocolatey mood (who are you???) you could simply blend berries into your frozen bananas and make a berry-flavoured filling instead.

The recipe below makes enough crust and filling for two 5″ tart dishes with a bit of each leftover, but if you have a larger dish, simply double the recipe. Even if you have leftovers, I’m sure you’ll find a way to put it to use. 😉

Remove the frozen bananas from the freezer and set them out on the counter to partially thaw.

For the crust: In a food processor, whirl the cashews, dates and coconut oil until a coarse mixture forms. Using a piece of cling film or a sandwich bag so that you don’t get your hands sticky, use your fingers to press an even layer into the bottom and up the sides of two small tart dishes. Set aside.

For the filling: In the same food processor or in a blender, blend the bananas with the raw cacao powder, vanilla, and just enough coconut/almond milk to get things moving. It should have a smooth texture, similar to that of soft serve ice cream or a really thick smoothie.

Divide the filling between the tarts, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Pop them in the freezer for 15-25 minutes. This will help the crust to set.

Wash the raspberries and shave the dark chocolate with a sharp knife. Remove the tarts from the freezer. Top with raspberries and chocolate shavings, then serve.

Angela Simpson

My name is Angela and I've got a fiery passion for turning fresh, healthy ingredients into delicious mouth-watering meals. I love veggies, seafood, avocados, and exploring all things wellness in Los Angeles, the city I'm now proud to call home.

This looks so delicious! I will definitely be making this tonight for dessert! I love that it only has a handful of ingredients and it vegan/gluten free/no sugar – this looks like a winning dessert to me 🙂

What’s my ultimate dessert? Not sure but I’ll let you know as this might be it!

And I am such a stationary freak! I love all the little ways I can organize my house/life and notebooks and pens and labels -oh my! Haha

Sounds like we are very similar organization-wise! I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one. Let me know how you get on with the recipe because I’d love to hear hat you think! I think my fave part is the crust because it’s SO simple yet ridiculously delicious. Hope you’re having a great week, Jes!

Since I almost didn’t click on the post due to the oil. Some advice for those of you who are SOS free, you can omit the oil and salt. You’re not baking and it’s unnecessary and adds unneeded calories. It also makes no difference in taste or consistency whatsoever if you leave in the oil or not. The base also works well with almonds, just in case you’re allergic to cashews!

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I’m Angela, and I’m so glad you stopped by! If you’re looking for healthy, delicious food, heart-pumping workouts, and inspiration for all things holistic wellness, you’re in the right spot. Have a look around, or learn more about me here.